Tokyo, April 14, 2006– Fuji Heavy Industries Ltd. (FHI), a global manufacturer of transportation and aerospace-related products and the maker of Subaru automobiles, today announced the successful development of its SI-DRIVE (Subaru Intelligent Drive), an innovative driving enhancement system that provides optimal control of the powertrain unit and delivers driving pleasure under various traffic and road conditions. The Legacy sedan 2.5GT spec. B (US model), equipped with the new system, will be displayed at the New York International Automobile Show (press days on April 12 and 13; open to the public from April 14).

The SI-DRIVE enables three distinctively different modes of engine power characteristics by regulating the engine control unit (ECU) as well as the transmission control unit (TCU) in the automatic transmission, and by fine-tuning the electronically controlled throttle. Intelligent mode ensures smooth, strong power output, yet facilitates city driving at low- to mid-speed range and contributes to greater fuel economy. The Sport mode is designed to deliver ideal power, faithful to the driver’s acceleration, and heightens enjoyable, sporty driving under a wide range of road conditions. The Sport Sharp mode further elevates sporty driving by accurately responding to the driver’s acceleration and boosting engine revolutions earlier than the Sport mode for a more powerful driving experience. The SI-DRIVE selector will be installed on the center console for the driver to choose from these three modes, which bring out very different driving experiences while driving the same car.

FHI has also developed a new interface to display SI-DRIVE performance, effectively communicating vehicle behavior and fuel economy to the driver. The instrumentation incorporates an ECO gauge that encourages mileage-conscious driving; a multi-information display that shows comprehensive information about the power characteristics of the driver-selected SI-DRIVE mode; and a Shift-up Indicator for the manual transmission model that advises the driver to shift up a gear.

Together with the improvements in the powertrain design for greater fuel economy and the new mechanism for the optimal powertrain control, mileage information given on the multi-information display and ECO gauge have proven to positively influence drivers to drive more fuel-efficiently. FHI’s internal tests have indicated that a vehicle with the display driven in the Intelligent mode recorded 10%–better gas mileage compared to an equivalent model without these improvements and display.

The SI-DRIVE not only offers enhanced driving pleasure, but it also takes on the role of an intelligent device, promoting communications between a driver and a car. In addition to FHI’s core technology, the Symmetrical AWD (All-Wheel Drive) system, SI-DRIVE presents yet another technological triumph that further advances the company’s development philosophy to pursue ultimate driving pleasure under any circumstances and conditions.

FHI plans to introduce the SI-DRIVE worldwide later this year in turbo-engine and 6-cylinder-engine Legacy series models.

Major features of the SI-DRIVE

Intelligent mode: Fuel consumption is lowered through maintaining effective control of engine torque output and by adjusting lock-up control in the automatic transmission, while ample power is smoothly output. The Intelligent mode ensures fuel economy, not only through optimal powertrain control but augmented by the ECO gauge that promotes fuel-efficient driving.

Sport mode: Power output is designed to reflect the precise degree of accelerator pedal depression, even in a turbo engine model, as if the driver is experiencing normally-aspirated engine power output characteristics. This mode promises pleasurable driving with a variety of vehicle uses and under diverse road conditions.

Sport Sharp mode: Response to engine revolutions accurately reflects power output, from low to high revolutions, enabling sporty driving even on rugged and winding roads. In the automatic transmission model, gearshift timing is set at higher engine speeds for powerful drivability.

SI-DRIVE display components

SI-DRIVE selector: The selector dial facilitates the choice of mode by a driver. By pushing the dial, the Intelligent mode is set, while the Sport mode is activated by turning the dial to the left, and the Sport Sharp mode is engaged by turning it to the right.

ECO gauge: The ECO gauge is located below the speedometer. The hand set in the gauge is a pendulum, and when fuel mileage goes above the average, the hand shifts to the right area. The average mileage is calculated by analyzing past driving patterns.

Multi-information display: In addition to average and actual mileage and other fuel economy information, the display shows simplified torque curve at the driver-set mode and levels of throttle valve opening.

Shift-up Indicator: Located in the tachometer, the indicator blinks to encourage a driver to shift up a gear to save fuel when engine revolutions reach a certain level during acceleration.

Engine power characteristics^＊

 

* This symbolized graph shows engine power characteristics in each mode. The characteristics changes depend on accelerator degree. This particular graph shows the characteristics with the accelerator almost wide open.